Apparatus and method for perusing selected vehicles having a clean title history

ABSTRACT

A system and method for allowing a consumer to search a database containing used vehicles from a variety of sellers that can be queried to provide search results that include only vehicles having clean title histories.

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/233,952filed Sep. 3, 2002 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,228,298, which claims the benefitof Ser. No. 60/316,547, filed Aug. 31, 2001, the contents of theseapplications being incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The following disclosure relates to apparatus and methods for perusingselected vehicles having a clean title history, and has particularapplication to apparatus and methods for perusing selected vehicleshaving a clean title history where the selected vehicles are selectedfrom a database of vehicles containing vehicles for sale from variousentities.

2. Description of Related Art

Systems and methods for identifying and displaying discrepancies invehicle titles have provided consumers with the ability to uncoverodometer fraud and/or problems with the selected vehicles. One suchmethod and system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,144, thedisclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Such systemshave provided benefit to consumers and sellers of cars by providinginformation concerning discrepancies in vehicle titles and/or assurancesthat there are no records of such discrepancies, or in other words, thatvehicles have a clean title. While such systems and methods have beenperfectly adequate for their intended use, they do not provide potentialbuyers with the opportunity to selectively search a database thatincludes a large selection of vehicles for sale that have beenprescreened and found not to have any discrepancies in the vehicletitle. Likewise, such systems did not provide sellers with theopportunity to offer a prescreened vehicle, that does not have anydiscrepancies in the vehicle title, from one seller along withprescreened vehicles from other sellers in a single searchable database.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The disclosed apparatus and methods avoid some of the disadvantages ofprior devices and methods while affording additional structural andoperating advantages. The disclosed apparatus and method for perusingselected vehicles having a clean title comprises certain novel featuresand a combination of parts hereinafter fully described and illustratedin the accompanying drawings, it being understood that various changesin the details may be made without departing from the spirit, orsacrificing any of the advantages of the present disclosed apparatus andmethod for perusing selected vehicles having a clean title history.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the subject mattersought to be protected, there are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings embodiments thereof, from an inspection of which, whenconsidered in connection with the following description, the subjectmatter sought to be protected, its construction and operation, and manyof its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system for perusing selected vehicleshaving a clean title history;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for a inventory collection subsystem used in thesystem of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a display used with the subsystem of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a printed version of the display of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for an inventory management subsystem used in thesystem of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a display used with the subsystem of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an inventory search subsystem used in thesystem of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a display used with the subsystem of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a second display used with the subsystem of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is an alternate second display used with the subsystem of FIG.7;

FIG. 11 is a third display used with the subsystem of FIG. 7;

FIG. 12 is a fourth display of the search results found using thesubsystem of FIG. 7;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of a output display subsystem used in the systemof FIG. 1;

FIG. 14 is a display of search results using the subsystem of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a display of vehicle information concerning one car in theresults of FIG. 14; and

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of the database structure used in thesystem of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Turning now to the drawings, and more particularly, to FIG. 1 thereof,there is depicted a system for perusing selected vehicles having a cleantitle history 10. The system involves a plurality of car sellers, suchas dealer subscribers 12 that use system 10 as one way to get theirinventory of vehicles having no known title defects in front of a largecustomer base. Dealer subscribers 12 can be located at a variety ofremote locations throughout the U.S. The dealer subscriber providesdetails about cars in its inventory for inclusion in a database ofvehicles that have no known title defects. In one form, the dealerprovides information concerning one or more cars via traditionaltelephony equipment 14, such as a phone or facsimile, to a servicecenter which takes the information and runs a history report on thevehicle title to determine whether any discrepancies exist in thevehicle title. In one form, the discrepancy may indicate that theexisting title is a salvaged title, a previous salvaged title had beenissued, or that miles were unknown or not provided at the time of thetransaction. Another type of discrepancy is known as a contextualdiscrepancy and can only be determined by studying and comparing thetitle transaction history. One example of a system for identifying suchdiscrepancies in vehicle titles is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,144.

After a history report 16 is run for the subject vehicle, the report canbe transmitted back to the dealer subscriber 12 via telephony equipment14 and dealer subscriber 12 can be given the option of adding thevehicle to a database 18 that contains searchable information concerningcars from a plurality of different car sellers. In one form, the dealersubscriber is only allowed the opportunity to add the vehicleinformation to database 18 if the vehicle has a clean title history or,in other words, has no known vehicle title discrepancies.

In an alternative form, dealer subscriber 12 can provide vehicleinformation using the internet, such as through Carfax Online.com, toobtain history report 16 and then, if the vehicle has a clean title, begiven an option to add the vehicle to database 18. An inventory managerinterface 22 can be provided via the internet, intranet or can beotherwise linked to database 18. The inventory manager interface allowsdealer subscriber 12, either directly or through an intermediary, toprovide vehicle information to database 18, update vehicle informationto database 18 and/or remove vehicle information from database 18 aftera vehicle has sold. Inventory manager interface 22 also allows thedealer subscriber 18 to add information or update information concerninga vehicle previously added to database 18.

Car shoppers, such as customers 24 can also access the database ofvehicle information through the internet, an intranet, or other network,such as through the internet site Carfax.com. The search program 26 canbe accessed by customer 24 through a link on the homepage of theinternet site. In one form, search program 26 is designed to allowcustomer 24 to search the vehicle information in database 18 accordingto the make or model of the car, the car classification, year of thecar, cars within a particular radial distance of a location specified bythe customer 24, or within certain zip codes or other areaclassifications such as cities, states, etc. Examples of carclassifications include, SUV's, minivans, vans, trucks, compact trucks,full size trucks, compact cars, midsized cars, sports cars, foreigncars, and domestic cars.

In one form, database 18 can contain information about cars that havebeen identified as having no known title discrepancies, cars that havetitle discrepancies, and/or cars where little or no effort was made todetermine whether any title discrepancies exist. In that case, searchprogram 26 can allow for a customer 24 to search for, or exclude, any ofthese three parameters. For example, search program 26 can be designedto allow customer 24 to search for only those cars that have beenidentified as having no known title discrepancies. Alternatively,customer 24 may seek to merely exclude those cars that have known titlediscrepancies.

Search results 28 can be displayed on the display (not shown) coupled tothe computer used by customer 24 to link to the internet. The customer24 can then review the list of cars that meet the customersspecifications and then view a guaranteed vehicle report, that specifiesthe particular vehicle information and whether or not a titlediscrepancy search had been performed and the results of such a search.Additionally, the consumer is given the option to obtain the fullhistory report containing the full title history. In one form, thesearch results include the dealer contact information, vehicle details,and an option to email the dealer. Alternatively, customer 24 may begiven the option to purchase the vehicle or make an offer on the vehicleover the internet by filling out a form on the internet webpage.

The system described with respect to FIG. 1 can be divided into fourbasic subsystems. These subsystems are collecting inventory, managingand reporting on inventory, searching inventory, and displaying output34.

Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown one form of the process ofcollecting inventory for database 18. In one form, a car seller visitsan internet site that is designed to enable the collection of vehicleinformation into a database 18. In one form the customer visitswww.carfaxonline.com and enters a vehicle identification number (VIN).The customers can be differentiated by their primary business class(PBC), such as new car dealers, used car dealers, mega dealers,insurance companies, loan companies, auto auctions, credit unions, etc.In one form, only certain customers will have the option to add vehiclesto inventory 18. In one form, only dealers will have the option to addvehicles to inventory 18 because many other types of customers, forexample credit unions, only obtain reports for making decisions on loansand not for selling cars. In another form, any customer may have theoption to add vehicles to inventory I8.

In one form, the customer will enter a customer number or otheridentification number that identifies the customer an its primarybusiness class type. At 38 the system identifies whether a customer is adealer or not and if the customer is not a dealer, the customer isallowed to choose a report type at 40. The customer can be allowed tochoose from among several report types. For example, a customer may beallowed to choose a Carfax branded title check (BTC) report that willshow whether or not there is any known discrepancies in the titlehistory, but does not include the history records at 42. The customercan also choose a full history report that includes a full availablehistory of the title and related records at 44. If the customer is ofthe appropriate business class, the customer chooses the report typesuch as branded title check 43 or full history 45. Whenever a brandedtitle check report is chosen, the system can display an option toupgrade to a full report history. In one form, if the dealer does notchoose full history 45, or does not upgrade to the full history, theprocess ends at 46 and the vehicle is not eligible for entry intodatabase 18.

If the dealer chooses full history 45, the system checks the vehicle foreligibility for addition to database 18. In one form, the vehicleidentification number must have a clean title history, meaning no knownspecified defects are found in the history report in order to allow thevehicle's addition to database 18. If the vehicle is eligible forinclusion in database 18, then the vehicle information is added todatabase 18 at 48.

An alternate system is shown in FIG. 3 and includes a graphic in theform of an animated GIF 49 that allows the dealer to opt out of placingthe vehicle in inventory 18 instead of opting in. If the dealer clickson the GIF, the vehicle status is changed to inactive in database 18 at50. If the dealer does not click on GIF 49, the system determineswhether the vehicle identification number is already in database 18 at52. If the vehicle is already on the database, the expiration date ofthe existing listing is extended from the current expiration date, suchas adding an additional 60 days, and the new listing generated by thehistory report being run is removed at 54.

If there is a title brand discrepancy or defect in the title found at45, the subsystem checks to see if the vehicle identification number isalready in database 18 at 56. If the vehicle identification number isalready in database 18, such as from a previous insertion prior tocontaining a defect, the vehicle information is removed from database 18at 58. If the vehicle is not already in the database, the history reportthat shows the defect, is displayed and the vehicle is not eligible forinclusion in inventory 18. When a vehicle is written to inventory indatabase 18, a vehicle class is assigned to allow users to search on abroad class basis instead of through only a make/and model search.

In a rare case, the search results may indicate that an incorrect titlebrand makes the car ineligible and a hyperlink can be used to offer torerun the vehicle again for free. In such case, it may be desirable tohave the report run manually through customer service to manually doublecheck the results and to determine the exact problem with thediscrepancy or incorrect title brand.

An upsell message can used with the display of the basic report to tryto encourage users to buy a full history report when they have purchasedthe branded title check. In one form, a hyperlink is used in the displayof the branded title check to make such a purchase. If the displayedhistory report is printed out, the hyperlink (GIF 49) does not need toappear in the printout. For example, the printed version could take onthe form shown in FIG. 4. One of ordinary skill in the art willrecognize that many of the other actions described herein can occurusing hyperlinks to click through various pages on the Internet.

Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown one form of a subsystem in system 10that allows a dealer, or other seller, to manage the vehicles theyentered into database 18. In one form, an internet-based interfaceallows the dealer to perform tasks such as viewing a list of thedealer's vehicles that are currently in the inventory of database 18,deleting the dealer's vehicles that have sold, updating informationabout vehicles in the inventory of database 18, viewing performancecriteria and generating reports. Additionally, the system allows forrules to be established internally for purging vehicles from thedatabase and generating reports to be used externally.

The car seller accesses the system through a web-based interface, suchas through www.carfaxonline.com at 62. The seller has to log in with anaccount name and password so that the inventory manager program isaccessible only to those with the appropriate accounts at 64. Thesubsystem allows dealers to upload vehicle information for additionalcars by uploading the vehicle identification numbers at 65 andcontinuing in a manner similar to that shown in FIG. 2.

After the seller has logged in, the system displays all vehicles theseller has entered into the inventory of database 18 and can display avariety of information concerning such vehicles. Examples of suchinformation include the VIN number, the status (such as active,inactive, or removed), year, make, model, body type, date added toinventory, date last modified, number of active days left in database18, the odometer reading supplied by the dealer, the color supplied bythe dealer, the price supplied by the dealer, the stock number suppliedby the dealer, a vehicle history report icon that is hyperlinked to thehistory report, a guaranteed vehicle report (GVR, discussed below) icon,the number of consumers who have viewed information concerning the car,and the number of times the car was found in a search.

The seller can view and edit the inventory at 68 and the system willpresent a table of the dealer's inventory information at 70. The dealercan edit vehicle information at 72 by clicking on a hyperlink thatbrings up detailed vehicle history. Clicking the hyperlink also allowsthe dealer to access a form having various fields that enables them toedit the odometer reading, the color, the price, the stock number, thestatus, etc. at 73. The system also lets the dealer change the vehiclestatus at 74, view the history report at 75, view the GVR, which is whatthe consumer sees at 76. The dealer can click on any of the numbersconcerning consumer views to get additional view details that includestime, date, zip code information of the vehicles that were viewed forany given vehicle identification number at 77 and 78.

In one form, the dealer can click on a hyperlink that will bring up asummary form of various information fields and allows the dealer to editselected fields for each vehicle, such as the status, odometer reading,the color, the price, and the stock number. The system can be designedto automatically store active vehicles for a set period of time from thedate of the last history report, at which point it will become inactive.The vehicle then remains on an inactive list for another set period oftime and can be reactivated by obtaining a new vehicle history report.After the set period of time on the inactive list, the vehicle is movedto an archive database. For example, the vehicle may remain active for60 days and on the inactive list for 30 days before being archived.However, theses time periods may be adjusted.

The management system can also provide a summary listing of the numberof times a particular vehicle was viewed or included in a search and thetotal number of separate times customers have viewed any vehicle in thedealer's inventory for a particular time period. In one form, the systemcan tell the number of actual times the potential customer has clickedon information concerning a particular car. Alternatively, the number ofviews can be defined as the number of times the vehicle was found in asearch even if the potential buyer did not click on the hyperlinkrelating to that vehicle in order to view additional information.

The information provided concerning the dealer's inventory can be sortedby status (such as active, inactive, etc.) and then by make. In oneform, the information that the dealer enters concerning new inventory isexported into standard data files, such as CSB or XLS files. By puttingthe information in spreadsheet cell type forms, it allows the dealer theability to sort the information according to the information found inthe different columns, such as make, model, year, price, etc. In oneform, the sortable table of the dealer's inventory 70 can be similar tothat shown in FIG. 6. The system can include the ability to add asecondary and tertiary sorts. The system can allow the dealer to viewthe history report for each vehicle entered into the inventory for free,since he already ran the report.

In one form, if a vehicle is already in the database and is rerun by thedealer, and it now has a branded title, the vehicle is removed frominventory 18. As new information is included in the system that runs thevehicle report, the contents of database 18 can be continuously checkedand the status of affected vehicles can be changed. Additionally, thedealer can have the ability to view what the consumer sees concerningthe vehicle, such as the guaranteed vehicle report (GVR) which givesvehicle information and the assurance that no known vehicle discrepancyhas been found. In one form, the GVR may take the form of FIG. 4.

A printer friendly version of fields to upload vehicle information canbe made to allow the dealer to print the version and fill out the reportby hand and fax into a customer service center that runs the report and,if appropriate, adds the vehicle to database 18. The inventorymanagement system of FIG. 5 can be set up to allow access for accountmanagers so that they have the ability to log in with their own passwordand enter different location id's to see various dealer's inventories.

Referring to FIG. 7, there is shown a subsystem of system 10 forsearching the inventory of database 11. This is the entry point forpotential customers, where they can specify their search criteria suchas make/model, zip code, area where the vehicle is located, vehicleclass, distance to their location, etc. The potential customer accessesthe search inventory subsystem via the internet, such as via thecarfax.com home page on another point of entry at 80. The potentialcustomer enters a search criteria at 82, such as by using the searchpage shown in FIG. 8. Then the consumer can be allowed to select fromadditional criteria at 84 to further narrow the search results, such asby using the search page shown in FIG. 9 or the one shown in FIG. 10.

If no cars are found in the search results, the next webpage shows thatno vehicles matched the criteria and gives a list of participatingnearby dealers for the consumer along with the option to select a newsearch, as shown in FIG. 11. If the number of cars that match thecriteria is greater than a set number, a subset of the matched vehiclesare displayed and a message recommends the user to further limit thesearch criteria at 88, as shown in FIG. 12. If the results are greaterthan zero but less than the set number described above, the systemdisplays the results at 90.

Referring to FIG. 13, there is shown a display output subroutine that ispart of system 10. This subroutine controls the information that isprovided to the potential car buyer and allows them the opportunity topurchase a vehicle report and visit the dealer's website or e-mail thedealer regarding a vehicle listed in the search results. In one form,the display output is a summary table of vehicles that match thepotential buyer's search criteria, such as the year, make, model, dealername and distance from the potential buyer. An example of such a summarytable is shown in FIG. 14.

The make, model, and dealer information can be displayed usinghyperlinks to allow the consumer to click on the hyperlink to access apage containing additional information concerning the selected item.Such hyperlinks can also be used to display additional detailsconcerning a particular vehicle found in the search results. Theinformation can be sorted in a variety of ways and can have a defaultsort, for example, by distance to the potential car buyer. Like theseller, the buyer can click on the different column headings to re-sortthe displayed vehicles so that they are sorted by the criteria of theselected column heading. In one example, if the column heading “make” isselected, then the cards are sorted by make. Likewise, if the “model”column is selected, then the results are sorted according to particularmodels. If the number of vehicles found in the search are greater thanthe maximum number displayed on each page, hyperlinks are displayed foradditional pages and the user can click on the vehicle hyperlink to viewthe guaranteed vehicle report at 94. In one form, the user is given theoption to compare the vehicles on the same page so that three guaranteedvehicle history reports are displayed on the same page. The reports canbe displayed in a popup window and the user can be given the option toorder additional reports or have a dealer contact them by clicking onappropriate items on the webpage.

For each vehicle that is in the search results, the system increments acounter for that vehicle identification number. This enables theinventory manager subroutine to provide information to the dealerconcerning the number of times that their vehicle has been included in alist of cars searched by a potential customer. In one form, if thenumber of vehicles in the search result is greater than a set number andonly a portion of the results are displayed, then the counters areincremented only for the vehicles that are displayed, and not for theother vehicles that match the criteria.

The guaranteed vehicle history report that is displayed at 94, after thepotential buyer has clicked on a particular hyperlink for a vehicle, canbe similar to the one shown in FIG. 15. The guaranteed vehicle historyreport can be composed of various sections, including a vehicledescription or information section that is based, at least in part, ondata related to the vehicle identification number. Additionalinformation that is provided by the dealer can be shown such as odometerreading, color, price, stock number, etc. A dealer information sectioncan also be provided to include, for example, the dealer name, address,phone, web, e-mail, and a map to the dealer. In some cases, a hyperlinkcan be used to display the information on a different page or to allowthe potential customer to go directly to the dealer's website, or e-mailthe dealer. In one form, a hyperlink is used to go to a form forrequesting that the dealer contact the potential car buyer.

A hyperlink can allow the potential car buyer to view a full vehicletitle report. In one form, the hyperlink for viewing the full vehicletitle report may require the payment of a fee. The fee can be paid bycredit card, paypal, a checking account number, or any other suitablemethod.

If the potential car buyer clicks on a specific vehicle to view theguaranteed vehicle history report, the click through can be tracked toallow that information to be displayed to the dealer using the inventorymanager subsystem. Additionally, other click-throughs can be tracked sothat the number of click-throughs to the dealer's website, the dealer'se-mail, the map to the dealership, or the request to have someonecontact the potential buyer can be tracked. The system can track thespecific guaranteed vehicle history reports that are printed by using aprint button to initiate the count. In one form, the referral e-mailformat follows auto lead data format (ADF) established by COBOL.Information concerning this format is available athtpp:\\www.cobolgroup.com\adf\.

Referring to FIG. 16, there is shown one form of a database structurethat is used with the previously discussed subroutines for system 10.This database focuses on inventory collection and the managing andreporting on the inventory collection. The database shown in FIG. 16comprises a variety of sub-databases to allow for easier collection andsorting of information.

One sub-database can include cars currently in database 18. This allowsthe inventory to be kept separate from other information and can make iteasier to edit the vehicle information and add to the vehicleinformation. It also is used to separate information that the dealerscan edit from information contained in other databases that the dealersare not permitted to edit.

The vehicle information's sub-database 100 can include a geographicallocation ID (location GID) for each dealer, the vehicle identificationnumber, the status of the vehicle (active, inactive, remove) the year,the make, the model, the classification, the body type, the date added,the date last modified, the expiration date, the link to the fullvehicle title history report, the link to the guaranteed vehicle report,the dealer provided odometer reading, the dealer provided color, thedealer provided price, the dealer provided stock number, and/or one ormore views of the vehicle. The vehicles contained in sub-database 100can be transferred to an archival database 102 after a set period oftime or after removal by the vehicle seller using the management tool.This archive database provides a way of storing inventory activity byeach dealer in a separate, off-line database which can then be used forarchival and analysis purposes.

In one form, a procedure runs which places a vehicle in archiveddatabase 102 if it has been in the active database 100 as an activevehicle for a set period of time and inactive for a second set period oftime, or if the dealer changes the vehicle status to remove it. Forexample, a vehicle is maintained in the active database 100 as an activevehicle for 60 days and 30 days as an inactive vehicle before it isautomatically removed to archived database 102. Database 102 is verysimilar to active database 100. In one form, archived database 102cannot be edited by potential car sellers and contains the same type ofinformation contained in active database 100. The archived database canalso include information concerning the date each vehicle was archivedand how it was archived, such as through the expiration of a set periodof time or by the dealer's involvement.

A dealer view subdatabase or vehicle view database 104 is provided todetail each time a dealer's vehicle is displayed as a result of apotential buyer's search query. A record is written in this database foreach vehicle that is displayed for each dealer. The sum of this vehiclelisting can appear as a number under the number of consumer views in theinventory manager subroutine discussed previously. In one form, theviews number is updated on a daily basis.

Database 104 can contain the date and time each search occurred alongwith the search criteria, the vehicle identification number and anyother pertinent information. In one form, database 104 will also includewhether or not the potential customer was an unlimited usage carinformation purchase customer (UUCP customer) for a system that allowsthe customer to perform unlimited views of full title history reportsfor a set period of time. The database can also include the geographicallocation identifier (GID) and any other ID that specifically identifiesthe dealer associated with a particular vehicle identification number.

A dealer click through database 106 can be provided to track the numberof click throughs that system 10 generates for a car seller. In oneform, on the guaranteed vehicle report, one or more fields are presentedthat contain the URL for the dealer's website or a hyperlink for otherinformation. Each time a consumer clicks on the URL for the dealer'swebsite, a record is written to the dealer click through database 106.Such record can contain the same types of information discussed withrespect to database 104.

An e-mail sent database 108 can also be provided to track the number ofconsumer e-mails that system 10 is generating for the car sellers. Inone form, consumers who chose to obtain the history report from a dealerwill have the option to send an e-mail to the dealer requesting thehistory report and/or more information. Each time a potential buyer usessystem 10 to send an e-mail to a dealer, a record is written to thedatabase. Such record can contain the same types of informationdiscussed with respect to database 104, along with informationconcerning the potential buyer's preferred method of having the dealercontact them.

A report's viewed database 110 can be used to track the number of timesa guaranteed vehicle report is viewed by a user for a particularvehicle. Each time the user clicks on a particular vehicle found in itssearch, a record is written to database 110. Such record can contain thesame types of information discussed with respect to database 104.Similarly, a report's printed database 112 can be used to track thenumber of users who choose to obtain the full vehicle title historyreport from a dealer by printing out the guaranteed vehicle report andtaking it to the dealer for a free full vehicle title history report. Inone form, this can be implemented using a print button on the report,which would simply call the browser's print function, but would also adda record to the database. Such record can contain the same types ofinformation discussed with respect to database 104.

The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanyingdrawings is offered by way of illustration only and not as a limitation.While particular embodiments have been shown and described, it will beapparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications maybe made without departing from the broader aspects of applicants'contribution. The actual scope of the protection sought is intended tobe defined in the following claims when viewed in their properperspective based on the prior art.

1. A computer-based used vehicle system for perusing and searching usedvehicles comprising: an inventory collection subsystem adapted to allowan authorized subscriber to submit vehicle identification numberscorresponding to a plurality of vehicles; a vehicle history managementsubsystem that analyzes said submitted vehicle identification numbers todetermine whether vehicle histories of each of said plurality ofvehicles have a predetermined discrepancy; a classifieds database thatstores vehicle information regarding at least a portion of saidplurality of vehicles analyzed by said vehicle history managementsubsystem; a search subsystem having a search program adapted to allowremote searching of said classifieds database for vehicles based onsearch query criteria that includes whether said predetermineddiscrepancy exists; and a display subsystem that displays a listing ofvehicles in said classifieds database identified as satisfying saidsearch query criteria by said search subsystem; wherein said searchprogram is adapted to allow exclusion of vehicles from said listing thatare determined to have said predetermined discrepancy.
 2. The usedvehicle system of claim 1, further comprising an inventory managersubsystem that allows the authorized subscriber to modify vehicleinformation regarding at least one vehicle of said classifieds database.3. The used vehicle system of claim 1, wherein said vehicle historymanagement subsystem includes a vehicle history information databasehaving vehicle history records, each vehicle history record relating toa particular vehicle and being associated with a vehicle identificationnumber of said particular vehicle.
 4. A computer-implemented method forperusing and searching used vehicles comprising: submitting a pluralityof vehicle identification numbers corresponding to a plurality ofvehicles; analyzing said vehicle identification numbers to determinewhether vehicle histories of each of said plurality of vehicles have apredetermined discrepancy; providing a classifieds database that storesvehicle information regarding at least a portion of said plurality ofvehicles analyzed; remotely searching said classifieds database forvehicles based on search query criteria that includes whether saidpredetermined discrepancy exists; displaying a listing of vehicles insaid classifieds database identified as satisfying said search querycriteria; and excluding vehicles from said listing that are determinedto have said predetermined discrepancy.
 5. The method of claim 4,further including providing a vehicle history information databasehaving vehicle history records for said plurality of vehicles, eachvehicle history record relating to a particular vehicle and beingassociated with a vehicle identification number of said particularvehicle, and wherein said analysis of vehicle identification numbersinclude analyzing said vehicle history records of said vehicle historyinformation database.
 6. A computer-based used vehicle system forperusing and searching used vehicles comprising: a vehicle historyinformation database having vehicle history records, each vehiclehistory record relating to a particular vehicle and being associatedwith a vehicle identification number of said particular vehicle; avehicle history management subsystem that analyzes vehicle historyrecords from said vehicle history information database to determinewhether vehicle histories of each of said plurality of vehicles have apredetermined discrepancy; and a search subsystem having a searchprogram adapted to allow remote searching for vehicles based on a searchquery criteria received from a user, the search query criteria includingwhether said predetermined discrepancy exists; wherein said searchprogram allows exclusion of vehicles which are determined to have saidpredetermined discrepancy from a search result.
 7. The used vehiclesystem of claim 6, wherein said predetermined discrepancy is at leastone of a branded title, unknown mileage, and contextual discrepancydetermined based on title.
 8. The used vehicle system of claim 6,wherein said predetermined discrepancy is a branded title.
 9. The usedvehicle system of claim 6, further including a display subsystem thatdisplays a listing of vehicles in said classifieds database identifiedas satisfying said search query criteria by said search subsystem. 10.The used vehicle system of claim 9, wherein said display subsystemfurther displays a communication link that allows the consumers togenerate a message regarding a selected vehicle addressed to a seller ofthe selected vehicle.
 11. The used vehicle system of claim 6, furtherincluding a classifieds database that stores vehicle informationregarding at least a portion of said plurality of vehicles analyzed bysaid vehicle history management subsystem for which said predetermineddiscrepancy does not exist.
 12. The used vehicle system of claim 6,wherein said search query criteria further includes location, make ofthe vehicle, model of the vehicle, and year of the vehicle.
 13. Acomputer-implemented method for perusing and searching used vehiclescomprising: providing a vehicle history information database havingvehicle history records for a plurality of vehicles; analyzing saidvehicle history records to determine whether vehicle histories of eachof said plurality of vehicles have a predetermined discrepancy;providing a classifieds database that stores vehicle informationregarding at least a portion of said plurality of vehicles analyzed;remotely submitting a search query criteria that excludes vehiclesanalyzed to have the predetermined discrepancy; and searching saidclassifieds database for vehicles based on search query criteria toidentify vehicles that satisfies said search query criteria thatexcludes vehicles analyzed to have the predetermined discrepancy. 14.The method of claim 13, wherein said predetermined discrepancy is atleast one of a branded title, unknown mileage, and contextualdiscrepancy determined based on title.
 15. The method of claim 13,wherein said predetermined discrepancy is a branded title.
 16. Themethod of claim 13, wherein said search criteria further includeslocation, make of the vehicle, model of the vehicle, and year of thevehicle.
 17. The method of claim 13, further including displaying alisting of vehicles in said classifieds database identified assatisfying said search query criteria.
 18. The method of claim 13,wherein each vehicle history record relates to a particular vehicle andis associated with a vehicle identification number of said particularvehicle.
 19. The method of claim 13, wherein said classifieds databasestores vehicle information for vehicles that are determined to haveclean titles.
 20. The method of claim 13, further including generating acommunication link that allows generating of a message regarding aselected vehicle addressed to a seller of the selected vehicle.